QUOTE: “The secret of being a bore is to tell everything.” -- Voltaire
Week 8 in the NFL. We enter my favorite month of the football season -- November, when every game carries some form of playoff significance. November football is different than football at any other time of the season because every game impacts another, and even a meaningless game has importance because of the playoff qualifiers.
So which teams are really competing for the playoffs and which teams are working for next year? And by working for next year, I don’t mean that it’s necessarily a bad thing – there’s much to gain from learning how to prepare to win. It fits into the theme of going from good to great; there have to be gradual steps. The bottom half of the teams in the NFL must show their fan base and the rest of the league that they have a plan and are making progress toward fulfilling that plan. Playing hard in November makes everyone stand up and take notice.
Wednesday, on “Inside the NFL” on Showtime, we had a segment called “Bulldoze or Band-Aid,” asking which teams need to start over and which ones need minor repairs. These teams will have an impact on the playoffs because if they beat a team that’s contending, it will crush them, and their strength of schedule will factor into the equation.
This morning, I thought I would continue that theme and examine the six bottom-dwelling clubs.
St. Louis: Steve Spagnuolo knows he’s facing a long rebuilding process, and watching him work on the sideline last Sunday showed he has not lost his enthusiasm for his team. He’s not blaming the players for the mess in St. Louis. He knows it’s not their fault -- they just lack talent. No need to blame the players as long as they’re trying to compete. The last three high picks -- Adam Carriker (injured reserve), Chris Long and Jason Smith -- have not made significant contributions, so this rebuilding project is going to take a long time. It will start with a quarterback in the 2010 draft, and hopefully, Spagnuolo has learned the Giants’ player procurement plan. He will need to model this team after the Giants’ way. The Rams are a long way from being competitive, whether the franchise is sold this year or next. They might only win when they play a bottom half team, but never when they play a top one.
Kansas City: The bulldozer has been out already, and clearly the Chiefs’ plan is to acquire draft picks and completely redo the team. Team owner Clark Hunt has given general manager Scott Pioli the keys to the store to run the team, and he must hope the events of the past six months have not done anything to make him feel delusional about that decision. There are many unhappy people in Kansas City, on and off the field, and I’m not convinced that the changes in K.C. are over. Someone I respect greatly in the league told me that the Chiefs are actually easier to play this year than they were last year. Ouch. I bet Clark Hunt wouldn’t want to hear that.
Tampa Bay: The Glazer family made the decision to fire Jon “Love You Bro” Gruden because they wanted to build their team with a young quarterback that the fan base could identify with. Everyone in the league knows this team would not be winless if Gruden was coaching it. It’s not a winless team in terms of talent, especially on offense, but it lacks the defensive players to run the current scheme. The Bucs hired a very young coach, who clearly is learning on the job — and still has a lot to learn. They need to put a band-aid on some of the problems, but their lack of universal experience in the building and their committee concepts of running a team make me believe that, in their present state, they will not be able to identify the right problems to fix.
Tennessee: I have great respect for Jeff Fisher as a coach, but his team is caught in a very difficult spot. Its older players are not playing as well as they did before, and its younger players are not consistent enough. The Titans obviously need to decide what to do with quarterback Vince Young, and not playing him is not going to help them make that decision. If I were Fisher, I would let Young play and show the world what you know — even if you keep losing games. Once they get the quarterback fixed, this team is a Band-Aid away from being able to compete.
Detroit: The Lions need to keep improving their talent base, and drafting a quarterback who appears to be a very good player has started the massive rebuilding process. They’re ahead of the Rams only because they admitted they needed a quarterback, while the Rams kept burying their heads in the sand. This week, the two teams play each other, so we might be able to determine which one is actually farther along.
Cleveland: I’m going to make this prediction right here and now: This time next year, the Browns will not be any better, and owner Randy Lerner will finally realize what everyone I talk to in the NFL seems to know now — that he’s given control of his team to the wrong man. Take all the time you need to reach this decision, but you will eventually come to the same conclusion.
Washington: They are an added bonus this morning because I read that GM Vinny Cerrato has said he gave coach Jim Zorn a playoff-caliber team. Which makes me think of a William F. Buckley Jr. quote: “I won’t insult your intelligence by suggesting that you really believe what you just said to be true.” But I would insult Vinny — he’s out of touch with reality.
What are your thoughts?
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It's sad when the Brown's owner gets vowed by Mangini in an interview and rushes to hire him when nobody else wanted him...so he canceled his interview with Josh McDaniels (local guy) and then selected Mangini over Pioli (who, unlike Mangini, said to Lerner that he needed to rebuild the team again) and gave him the power to choose his own puppet GM (Kokinis)...I think the Browns problems starts with ownership...
I do believe the Lions are light years ahead of the Rams, primarily due to the acknowledgment that a quarterback was needed. Vinny Cerrato is a madman to say the least. Why would the likes of Mike Shanahan or Bill Cowher want to work in a nuthouse like that? In any case, the Titans and Buccaneers could correct problems more effectively than the other teams they've mentioned but while Detroit can become a contender in a year or two, I'm not sure if that's really possible for the Rams. Thanks again, Lombardi.
The Browns, Rams, and Raiders are not just bad teams as are the Chiefs, 'Skins, Bucs, and Lions. They are truly adrift. They are not deserving of NFL membership. I do not understand how the NFL can allow it to happen. The NFL commissioner et al have exhibited more and more control over the workings during the past few years. They do this on one level to protect the "Product."
With this in mind, I don't see how they can allow "The Product" to deteriorate without making some demands on the franchises to come up with complete self analyses and future operating plans. Teams are not entities unto themselves. They are responsible to their fan base and to the League.To allow owners to degrade what they call their "possessions" is damaging to more than the owners' wallets. The degradations affect all who are invloved in the game, whether team employees, sponsors, fans, and...
It is time that those constantly languishing, bumbling, shameful organizations be forced into some accountability to the standard or Professional Football.
Sonny L. what proof do you have that Charlie Weiss would not be a good NFL coach? I think he'd be great.
As for Mangini clearly Belichick didn't think he was ready to be a head coach and tried to talk him out of it.
As far as I'm concerned Romeo was the only BB guy that failed in the NFL.
Mark F., you're kidding, right? Have you WATCHED Notre Dame play? Charlie's had ample time to recruit and put in his system... I'm not saying they can't score, but their defense has been brutal.... He came in so cocky and sure of himself, but now looks in over his head every week... compare his program to Saban's...not even close....and Saban couldn't cut it in the NFL..
...and you think Mangina is a good head coach? Can you find 10 Browns fans who think that?
John Gruden was fired fo rbe not having any leadership qualities...he wore out his welcome wyh everyone with his constant lies...he lies so much he forgets what he tells someone....he lost the team and the fans....oh and his drafting skills of offensive oplayers he"loved" are so bad.....Raheem will be fine.....
No I haven't watched Notre Dame play but I watched the Patriots under Weiss (whom I might add helped train Tom Brady and Josh McDaniels).
I'll turn your argument back on you. Saban is doing great but how did he do in the NFL? He stunk.
I think Weiss is the exact opposite...a pro coach not a college coach. This is just an opinion, but there was no mistaking watching the Patriot offense grow under Charlie Weiss and how highly his charges spoke of him...I think he's miscast. The Pats O-Line has never been the same since Weiss left for example.
I think Mangini is a mess and I have been posting so for years on any forum I could find.
My point on Mangini was that Belichick didn't think he was ready and tried to stop him from faking...I mean taking the Jets job.
If Belichick didn't think he could do that job why call him a "Failed Belichick disciple?" Belichick tried to save him from himself.
I don't think we in Tennessee are thinking in terms of Band-Aids. Tourniquet. Suction. Amputation. Organ donation.... All of those come to mind. Especially suction, though.... but I would probably spell it "sucktion". Just sayin'...
2 funny....ripping on Gruden still, I guess you just walk around with a bunch of resentments and blame everybody else why you are unemployed. Al Davis says he loves you to bro, but you just suck as a gm. Keep to tweeting, and ripping other folks, your better at that!
Mark F, I'm sorry but if you've never watched Notre Dame then you really can't comment on Wies's prospects as a Head Coach. He was a coordinator under BB where he definitely had some success but remember, their offense was better after he left. Wies's one opportunity to run a program has come with a significant competitive advantage over all but a few coaches in the country and it still has been less than stellar.
Somehow arguing that you think he might be an average (debatable) College coach, but somehow be an amazing head coach in the NFL just doesn't seem logical. Just look at the coaches that failed in the NFL, but succeeded in college like Pete Carroll, Nick Saban, June Jones, Bobby Petrino, etc., etc. There just aren't too many who've done it the other way around, I can't think of one in fact.
The toughest slot to fill could be QB, as there do not appear to be any more Kyle Ortons being cut loose around the league and drafting a signal caller is always fraught with risk.
A list of thank yous and a final...
Even if you called me an idiot,...
Their success will depend on QB...
Titans coach wants Chris Johnson...
Now is the QB’s chance to show...
Oct 29, 2009
12:48 PM
I was amazed and dismayed the other day at Cerrato's comment but decided to forego making a comment. I can't refrain anymore. Not only is he delusional but his comment was completely self serving to protect his A. As a team player and person of principal he should have been man enough to accept responsibility and not pass blame to Zorn. Cerrato showed his true colors and his lack of overall judgment and inability to assess talent means he should be the first to go.